Area hospitals including BCW Member Hospitals to get $265.8 million in COVID-19 Relief

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester) announced that eight hospitals in New York’s 17th Congressional District, which includes all of Rockland and part of Westchester Counties, will receive $246,279,512 for essential expenses associated with treating coronavirus patients. This funding is part of the more than $5.026 billion previously announced for 90 New York hospitals that have provided inpatient care for 100 or more coronavirus patients each in COVID-19 High Impact Areas.

“Westchester and Rockland Counties are home to some of the hospitals caring for the greatest number of coronavirus patients in the country,” said Congresswoman Lowey. “I fought to secure this funding in the CARES Act with my state, my community, and my neighbors in mind, and I’m relieved this funding has made its way to our Lower Hudson Valley hospitals. This is a significant step, but we are far from completing our mission of getting frontline hospitals the tools they need to maintain their heroic, life-saving work during this crisis. I will continue fighting to make sure NY-17 health providers have what they need to treat and heal COVID-19 patients.”

Of the eight hospitals Lowey announced funding for, six are in Westchester and are members of the BCW.

“As usual Congresswoman Lowey comes through for her constituents, and we are very grateful that Westchester hospitals which were so hard hit by the coronavirus will receive this badly needed funding,’’ said Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester. “We thank all of our hospitals, and the entire ranks of healthcare workers and first responders across our state for the sacrifices that they have made during this time. We are hopeful that this funding will be helpful in our hospitals’ recovery.’’

The six Westchester hospitals below will use this federal funding, allocated through the Provider Relief Fund from the CARES Act, for costs associated with operating in a coronavirus disease hotspot. This relief ensures that hospitals can continue to treat coronavirus patients and increase staffing, bed capacity, and much-needed personal protective equipment.

White Plains Hospital, White Plains: $65,283,067

Westchester Medical Center (WMCHealth), Valhalla: $49,115,383

Phelps Hospital, Sleepy Hollow: $20,312,951

Northern Westchester Hospital, Mount Kisco: $16,295,632

Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, White Plans: $11,181,812

New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, Cortlandt Manor: $19,502,808

“We are eternally grateful for Congresswoman Lowey’s efforts to help keep Westchester’s hospitals strong. She has been a tremendous advocate for Hospitals during this crisis,” said Susan Fox, President and CEO of White Plains Hospital. “As a hospital in the epicenter of the COVID outbreak, we have been in this fight from the beginning, caring for more than 1,200 inpatients and countless other patients in the Emergency Department with the virus. This federal funding is critical to help strengthen Hospitals like ours as we face the incredible economic burdens resulting from COVID-19.”

“We are so grateful for Congresswoman Lowey and her work to ensure that those healthcare providers most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic receive critical assistance and support,” said Michael D. Israel, President and CEO of WMCHealth. “She has always been a staunch supporter of our work, and her concern and commitment to the health and safety of her constituents has remained paramount and is commendable. Through this and other crises, knowing that she was in our corner, recognizing the need and fighting for us, has given us added peace of mind so that we can remain focused on providing high quality care in environments that are safe for our patients and our workforce.”

As a result of Congresswoman Lowey’s numerous letters and conversations with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar calling on the administration to prioritize relief funding to the areas most impacted by the spread of COVID-19, HHS announced the allocation of an additional $2 billion for this purpose more quickly than planned. These funds announced bring the total for COVID-19 High Impact Areas across the country from $10 billion to $12 billion.

This federal relief is in addition to the $1.85 billion in COVID-19 relief funding to 26,282 New York State hospitals and health care providers previously announced by Congresswoman Lowey.